APPEAL for Cyclone Winston Relief Operations in FIJI

Dear all members, well wishers, generous donors and selfless volunteers,
As you are all aware the last 48 hrs has been one of the darkest moments for people around Fiji who faced the brunt of Cyclone Winston, one of the most destructive natural disasters ever to have hit Fiji and the most severe cyclone to hit the Southern Hemisphere. As Cyclone Winston passed over Fiji, it left an unprecedented trial of destruction and suffering (especially in the Western Viti Levu and smaller Islands), leaving hundreds of roofs, homes and building blown off and thousands of suffering families in desperate need of immediate assistance. There are over 8000 people currently sheltering in evacuation centers no knowing where their next meal will come from or what they would call their home after returning from there.

The Fiji Sevashram Sangha, as it has always done during previous natural calamities, is getting ready to reach out to these suffering families as soon as possible with immediate relief assistance and calls on your support and generosity to be able to help our brothers, sisters and children in this hour of need. The Sangha have relied on its selfless volunteers and donors to mobilise immediate help to the needy in the past, it again appeals to them to please come forward and help the Sangha help the thousands in need today. The damage and suffering is widespread, from Rakiraki to Lautoka, the affected are in tens of thousands and the suffering is extremely severe.

As part of its first phase of relief operations, the Sangha intends to, in the next few days, distribute cooked food to families in the evacuation centers and distribute grocery ration packs to families still in their house. It urgently needs helping hands of the volunteers and food supplies to start these massive relief operations. The communities at large are requested to drop in the extras they have at home (clothes, food and water) at the Suva and Lautoka Ashram for distribution.

This disaster and the suffering of the people this time around is on an gigantic, unprecedented and unimaginable scale, the community at large needs to put their hands, hearts and heads together to serve the needy.
The Sangha is sincerely hopeful that its volunteers and well wishers will rise up again to respond to the emergency with the Sangha. Your fellow suffering countrymen is desperately in need of your help.
This opportunity to serve humanity - 'service to Humanity is service to God'.Contact: Lautoka Ashram 10 Nasoki Street Lautoka– 6640420//9967272/9927949
Suva Ashram: 6 Bau Street Suva – 3371625/8612492/9992743

Flood Relief of Chennai

The Bharat Sevashram Sangha started extensive Relief Work in the flood
affected areas of Chennai a few days back. It has opened its Relief Camps at
Minjur on T. H. Road in Chennai District and near Tambaram in
Kanchipuram District of Tamil Nadu.

Cooked Food, Dry Foodstuffs, Drinking Water and other Relief Materials
are being distributed in the relief camps and remote villagers.

Monks & Volunteers from its Trivandrrum, Kannyakumari, Rameswaram, Bengaluru
and Hyderabad Branches have also reached to strengthen this protractive
Relief Work

In the service of humanity
Swami Biswatmananda
General Secretary
Bharat Sevashram Sangha

1700 families assisted in Cyclone Winston Relief operation in Fiji

Fiji Sevashram has been one of the first organisation on the field reaching out to affected people. Our volunteers travelled from Lautoka to Rakiraki reaching out to the most remote settlements in the their effort to extend a helping hand to affected families. The grocery relief pack distributed consisted of basic food items such as 10kg Sharp, 10Kg rice, 2lt. cooking oil, dhal, powered milk, sugar, salt, etc.
The team tried reaching out to families in the interior and remote areas where no form of assistance has been provided. At many locations the sight of first assistance from Fuji Sevashram has brought out emotion and tears amongst the recipients. According to Shri Kishore Kapadia, some of the elders in the community expressed so much appreciation that they would hug the volunteers and just cry. Some described this as the most frightening and devastating cyclones they have ever witnessed.

In the service of humanity
Swami Biswatmananda
General Secretary
Bharat Sevashram Sangha

Bharat Sevashram Sangha is a vast network of volunteers across the globe dedicated to helping people in distress. The Sangha's social welfare activities include disaster relief, spreading education, providing healthcare facilities, vocational training and upliftment of the tribals